Chapter 257: Golden Breath Pavilion

Looking up at the simple yet dignified plaque, the three large characters "Golden Breath Pavilion" were inscribed upon it with the fluidity of flowing water; the golden lacquer shimmered with a faint radiance under the afterglow of the setting sun. Xu Le stepped over the threshold lightly, silently reciting to himself: "This is it, no mistake."

Stepping into the pavilion, a delicate scent of agarwood rushed to greet him, forming a sharp contrast with the clamor of the outside world. The main hall was decorated with both opulence and elegance; glazed lamps hung high, reflecting off the exquisite carved window lattices, with every detail revealing an extraordinary taste.

The Golden Breath Pavilion was brightly lit, a sharp contrast to the stillness outside. As Xu Le stepped over the threshold, an air mixed with agarwood and the smell of wine rushed toward him, and whispers and laughter immediately reached his ears; this was the most mysterious intelligence trading place in the Prefecture City.

He wove through the bustling crowd, his gaze wandering between faces that were either cunning or indifferent, finally stopping on an old man behind the counter who was resting with his eyes closed. The old man's hair and beard were all white, yet he possessed an imposing manner that commanded respect, as if he could see through the human heart.

"I would like to inquire about some information." Xu Le's voice was not loud, yet it reached the old man's ears clearly.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze like a torch, sizing Xu Le up from head to toe before speaking slowly: "You know the rules, right? The value of the information depends on the price you offer."

Xu Le smiled slightly, took a heavy gold ingot from his bosom, and placed it gently on the counter; the gold ingot shone with an alluring luster under the light. "This is the deposit. I want to know about all the unusual movements related to the Su Family Caravan within the Prefecture City recently."

The old man's eyes brightened slightly, and he signaled for Xu Le to wait a moment. A short while later, he returned with a sealed envelope in his hand. "The answer you want is inside, but remember, some secrets are not necessarily good to know once learned."

Xu Le took the envelope, an inexplicable excitement and unease welling up in his heart. He knew deep down that once this step was taken, there would be no turning back. But for the future of the Hong Sect, and for that heavy responsibility, he had to press on.

His brother-in-law said he was to act as the vanguard, so he had to make a name for himself no matter what, otherwise he would be laughed to death by his brother-in-law upon returning.

Leaving the Golden Breath Pavilion, the night had deepened, and there were few pedestrians on the street; only the occasional sound of the night watchman's clapper in the distance reminded people of the passage of time. Xu Le quickened his pace, calculating in his heart how to safely deliver this intelligence back to Wu Feng, and how they should act next.

Returning to the residence, Wu Feng was carefully studying the clues collected today by the faint candlelight, his brows locked in a frown; he had clearly encountered a significant problem. Seeing Xu Le return, he immediately came to meet him, his eyes flashing with anticipation.

"How was it? Did you find out anything?"

Xu Le nodded and handed the envelope to Wu Feng. The two sat around the table and opened the envelope together; the contents made them look at each other, their expressions grave.

The destruction of the Su Family Caravan involved multiple forces within the Prefecture City, the main reason being that the Su Family Caravan was transporting an unknown, valuable item, suspected to be letters involving the Red Lotus Sect's rebellion in the eastern Dongyudao and Tonglu Dao.

This caused the Prefecture City to be in turmoil.

After reading this piece of news, Wu Feng and Xu Le's expressions changed; getting involved with the rebel Red Lotus Sect was not something an ordinary person could handle.

Wu Feng took a deep breath, "This matter is of great importance; we had better not get involved."

Xu Le nodded, "The situation in the city is complex now, so we should just keep a low profile; it's just a pity about that ingot of gold."

Just as the two were discussing, a slight sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

Wu Feng looked toward the door vigilantly, secretly channeling his strength.

A black shadow flashed by and entered the room in an instant.

Wu Feng and Xu Le stood up quickly, assuming a defensive stance.

Seeing the two in a defensive stance, the black shadow didn't speak and attacked them directly.

The black shadow's movements were swift and silent, like a leopard in the night, carrying a sharp momentum that could not be underestimated. Wu Feng and Xu Le reacted extremely quickly, unfolding their forms to dodge to either side, while simultaneously gripping their handy weapons to deal with this sudden attack.

Watching Wu Feng and his companion dodge his attack, the man in black said with interest: "So you are the two who were asking about the Su Family Caravan?"

"What sacred entity are you, visiting in the dead of night, and what is your business?" Wu Feng shouted in a deep voice, his tone containing both caution and a bit of natural authority.

The black shadow did not answer immediately, but leaped lightly around the room, seemingly looking for a flaw. Moonlight shone through the window lattice, casting mottled light upon him; his figure was thin, and he wore a black veil, revealing only a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"Hmph, I am a Shadow Guard of the Red Lotus Sect, here specifically to retrieve the letters that belong to my sect." The black shadow finally spoke, his voice low and cold, revealing an irresistible majesty.

Hearing this, Xu Le felt a chill in his heart; he had not expected the influence of the Red Lotus Sect to have penetrated to such an extent that even small figures like them had become targets.

"We don't know anything about any letters, nor have we seen anyone from the Su Family Caravan; we just wanted to take this opportunity to make a name for ourselves. You have the wrong people." He tried his best to remain calm, attempting to use words to stabilize the other party and clear up the misunderstanding.

The black shadow sneered, clearly not believing him, "The matter of the Su Family Caravan has spread throughout the Prefecture City. If you want to stay out of it, I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Hand over the letters now, and I might consider sparing your lives."

Hearing this, Wu Feng was burning with rage; he knew the notorious reputation of the Red Lotus Sect and was even less willing to be threatened by them. "Although we are small figures, we still understand right from wrong. If there really were letters, handing them over would be fine, but a false accusation is easy to make!" As he spoke, he moved to launch an attack on the black shadow.

However, the black shadow seemed prepared; his figure flickered like a ghost, easily avoiding Wu Feng's attack, and he struck back with a palm toward his side ribs: "It seems that only by taking you down will you tell the truth."

Having said that, his attack speed became even faster.

Wu Feng hurriedly withdrew his momentum to defend, and the two were immediately plunged into a fierce confrontation.

Wu Feng felt the strength of the Red Lotus Sect Shadow Guard; he was stronger than himself, but certainly not as strong as Sect Master Wei Zhuang, so his strength should be around the Bone Refining Mid Stage or late stage.

Seeing this, Xu Le did not want to fall behind; although he was not skilled in martial combat, he was clever, and while the black shadow was entangled with Wu Feng, he quietly circled behind him, preparing to launch a sneak attack.

However, just as he was about to succeed, the black shadow turned around abruptly as if he had eyes in the back of his head, striking out with a palm that collided with Xu Le's blade, emitting a muffled "bang."

Xu Le felt a massive force come through, and his whole body could not help but retreat several steps, his heart filled with inexplicable horror. He knew he was no match for this person, but looking at Wu Feng, who was locked in a bitter struggle, he had to grit his teeth and persist, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.